Improvement in steam-pumps



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

.I E. ATWATER, oF cHIeAeo, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN S-TEAM-PUNIPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 49,063, dated August l, 1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, J. B. A'rwATER, of Chicago, Cook county, State ot Illinois, have invented a new and useful Mode of Supplying Water to Locomotive-Tenders 3 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure lis a vertical section through the improved water-elevator. Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the arrangement of its valves of the apparatus for raising water.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures.

The object of this invention is to supply water to'locomotive-tenders from deep wells by Y the action of steam from the locomotive-boiler upon a body ot' compressed air which is con# fined above a column of water in a vessel that is located at the bottom of a well, as will. be hereinafter described.

To enable others skilled in the arttounder- Stand my invention, I will describe its construction and operation.

In the accompanying drawings,A A represent a: vessel which is composed ot' an upper and a lower section divided by a diaphragm, B. The chamber a ot the upper section is about one-third the capacity of the chamber b of the lower section, and these two chambers a andbcommunica-te with each other when the valve c is depressed through the opening which this valve closes.

The vessel A A may be made of any desired capacity, and I prefer to make itof boileriron, observing the proportions above mentioned.

Through the bottom of the lower section, A', an opening` is made for the admission of water, and this opening is provided with a valve, d, which, when closed, prevents the escape of Water from said section through the opening. This valve el should be so constructed that it will rise of itself and allow water to iow into the vessel when there is no pressure therein.

From the top of the chamber a projects a pipe, D, which is provided with a stop-cock,

g, and which communicates with another pipe, E, that leads into the upper portion of the chamber b, as shown in the drawings.

pipe E is also provided with a stop-cock, g. The pipe G leading from the bottom of the chamber b upward is the discharge-pipe, and conducts the water from said chamber to the tender of the locomotive.

In arranging the apparatus above described for operation', the vessel A A is submerged, or partially submerged, in the water at the bottom of a well, and the pipes D, E, and G are carried up to the top ofthe well, at which point the cocks g gf are applied to their respective pipes D E, so that access may be had to these cocks without entering the well.

A communication is made between the boiler of the locomotive and the extremity ot' the pipe D by means of a flexible pipe; but previously' to admitting steam the pipe G is made to communicate with the tank on the loc0- motive-tender, and water is allowed to rise in the vessel b, to a line with the water in the well, as indicated in red, Fig. 2. This waterline indicates the point ot' submersion of the vessel. The cock g being closed steam is admitted into the chamber a, by opening the cock g, which forces the air in this chamber a through the valve-opening of diaphragm B,

into the chamber b, above the Water therein, and instantly closes the valve d. The cock g is now closed and the cock g opened, so as to admit steam into chamber b below the diaphragm B, and by the sudden expansion of the compressed air above the column of water, together with thesudden impactot` steam upon said air, the water is forced up pipe B and discharged into the tank of the tender. The operation being completed the flexible tube is disconnected from the boiler, stop-cocks g g are opened, and the equilibrium restored, when the valve d will rise and allow water to rush into the chamber b again.

The success of my invention depends upon the sudden expansion of a body ot' compressed air above the water in the chamber b, and also the impact of the steam upon this compressed. air.

The division ofthe vessel into two compartments by the diaphragm B is for the purpose of enabling me to compress the air by the action ot' steam upon it before the steam can be cooled.` or condensed, the air being forced This I through a valve opening intov the water-chamber, and there confined by the return of the valve to its seat. This confined air now serves as an elastic cushion, upon which the steam directly from the boiler is caused to aot.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination and arrangement of the chambers ce b, valves c d, pipes D E G, and

cocks gg', constructed and operating substantially as described.

Y J. B. ATWATER.

Witnesses:

J. A. HoIsINGToN, MORRIS WINsoR. 

